TY - JOUR
TI - Socially Desirable Responding: Enhancement and Denial in 20 Countries
AU - He, J.
AU - van de Vijver, F.J.R.
AU - Dominguez Espinosa, A.
AU - Abubakar, A.
AU - Dimitrova, R.
AU - Adams, B.G.
AU - Aydinli, A.
AU - Atitsogbe, K.
AU - Alonso-Arbiol, I.
AU - Bobowik, M.
AU - Fischer, R.
AU - Jordanov, V.
AU - Mastrotheodoros, S.
AU - Neto, F.
AU - Ponizovsky, Y.J.
AU - Reb, J.
AU - Sim, S.
AU - Sovet, L.
AU - Stefenel, D.
AU - Suryani, A.O.
AU - Tair, E.
AU - Villieux, A.
JO - CROSS CULTURAL RESEARCH
PY - 2015
VL - 49
TODO - 3
SP - 227-249
PB - SAGE Publications Inc.
SN - 1069-3971
TODO - 10.1177/1069397114552781
TODO - null
TODO - This article investigated the dimensionality, measurement invariance, and cross-cultural variations of social desirability. A total of 3,471 university students from 20 countries completed an adapted version of the Marlowe–Crowne scale. A two-dimensional structure was revealed in the pooled sample, distinguishing enhancement (endorsement of positive self-description) and denial (rejection of negative self-description). The factor structure was supported in most countries; medium-sized item bias was found in two denial items. In a multilevel analysis, we found that (a) there was more cross-cultural variation in denial than enhancement; (b) females tended to score higher on enhancement whereas males tended to score higher on denial; (c) the Human Development Index, an indicator of country socioeconomic development, was the best (negative) predictor of denial; and (d) both enhancement and denial seemed to be associated with country-level values and personality pertinent to “fitting in.” We conclude that social desirability has a positive and a negative impression management dimension that are meaningfully associated with country-level characteristics, and we argue that social desirability is better interpreted as culturally regulated response amplification. © 2014 SAGE Publications.
ER -